Mar 15 2013:
Psychopaths are only well suited to our current ideas of what 'success' is - that is, where nearly every value we have, is based on material gain, displays of wealth and the superficiality of what is merely 'skin-deep'.

I suggest that as soon as the wherewithal to perpetuate outrageous wealth either disappears, or reaches globally sustainable levels, psychopathy for the sake of personal gain will disappear. It will become a pointless trait, too fleeting to become evolved and ingrained in the psyche of humans to the exclusion of empathy.

Emotion and empathy are not going to vanish anytime soon. Empathy will be the most important survivor in a world that has squandered all its wealth on frivolity, greed and selfishness.

It may not happen in our lifetime, and there will probably be a painful transition period, but it sure will happen sometime.

Mar 17 2013:
I have experienced a psychopath, a CEO of a large company. The day I decided to break off from this person, was the day I read about Psychopaths and learned that they aren't just killers, but can be 'charming' and 'eloquent' persons as well. Chameleons. Dangerous ones. The following traits of this person: Deceitful, complete and utter lack of remorse, grandiose, manipulator, pathological liar, no empathy, criminal tendencies and believe me the list goes on....BUT. highly intelligent, superb command of English (his second language), eloquent, charming, 'that winning smile', impeccably dressed, numerous relationships with people held in high esteem, very 'genuine'..an incredible disguise 'mask' from the reality of a cold sadistic human who's intent is greed and destruction.

Should be afraid of an epidemic? We should be afraid of just one psychopath, so an epidemic!..that's worst than if 'zombies' existed...at least we can tell them apart..yes, we should be afraid, very much so. Though afraid is not necessarily the word I would use, more of aware and ready. Psychopaths gravitate towards power and rise up the chain of command...if the CEO's and leaders of powerful and influential countries, multinational companies, financial organizations have psychopaths running part of them, even a few,...that could very well be the reason humanity is where it's at today.

It takes one to cause the downfall of many, Hitler, Madoff, being prime examples of how much damage one can cause. One bad apple really does spoil the bunch.

Humans have leaders that guide them, whether it be political or religious and we will follow till the very end. I believe it's time to take action and ensure that the leaders of our most powerful organizations of all sorts are in fact not psychopaths and that this could be one of the most important tasks that we as humans must undertake as quickly as possible.

Thank-you so much for having asked this question, awareness and action on these people is VITAL.

Mar 14 2013:
This is a very interesting question.
From the book I have read : Office politics by Oliver James (Which suggest basically what this comment is saying).
Then I might be inclined to agree, and that psychopathy would be an evolutionary advantage for the indivaul but not for the genetic gene pool. In the way if we had lots of people who were all prepared to kill eachother for material gain, then I could probably assure you that we would not last very long as a species. (Correct me If I am wrong with this statement).
Also from what I know, psychopaths don't really feel much satisfaction, even though they excel in the business world. (I am not certain on this though!)
But should we be afraid : That completely depends on so many factors. For instance whether the elite psychopaths still saw us as "useful". But I can't see any reasons why they would try to get rid of people unnescary, so this become a false worry in my opinion.
I mean would you want to live in a world, with a complete lack of empathy? And it would be a sort of social Darwinism world to the extreme. I would be interested to see what form of civilization a group of pure psychopaths would form and what would be their universal norms.

Mar 14 2013:
Yes the psychopaths would want to keep us around for a while, as pets perhaps, but assuming their condition is hereditary (Which it seems to be). There would come a point where their superior birth rate would allow their psychotic genes to flood the global pool.
I fear that we pay much to little attention to social Darwinism, I believe we will start to see its effects very soon.

Mar 14 2013:
Extinction of emotion? Heavens no! What you are seeing is the denial of feelings. Feelings and emotions are different things in both content and purpose. In psychopaths, you see emotions run amuk. (Not just psychopaths, but the way. Most people are ruled/owned by their emotions because they don't have clue that it is their responsibility to own/rule them - explaining why so much is wrong in our world)

Mar 14 2013:
From what I have read, I am lead to believe that Psychopathy is caused by an impairment of the frontal lobe and the result of this is that they lack certain vital emotions such as regret, empathy and love.
I do agree that there is a mass denial of emotion happening among human kind, but I believe Psychopathy is separate from this.

Mar 18 2013:
Yes we should be.
The epidemic is happening in the form of Artificial Intelligence.
That is, it is living humans that are being made or rendered artificially intelligent.
They are willingly being made into mental robots.
They believe what they are told to believe, think what they are told to think, say what they are told to say and do what they are told to do.
Conversely, they do not believe what they are told not to believe, do not think what they are told not to think, do not say what they are told not to say and do not do what they are told not to do.
This is happening in the job arena where people must become a team player if they want the job, or to keep a job, or to gain promotions. Especially in law enforcement. Prisons which are now private businesses and working there is now a career. Private business needs customers, so let's find a way to make more people criminals.
Law enforcement that take oaths to protect the Constitution, which is really the People, break it every day, deny it, lie about it, threaten people for demanding transparency, filming the police and even standing up for their rights on the streets. These officers do not think any more. They have no compassion in their eyes. They only repeat what they have been told to say and then brutally do what they were told to do, and then are protected.
These artificially-intelligent mental robots are virtually all our politicians. Most are now Manchurian Candidates but sadly the voting public are now Manchurian Citizens.
Children are taught to spy on one another, their parents, and are being taught by psychopathic TSA agents just what it will be like to grow up in a Fascist, Totalitarian Dictatorship. "We're just doing our job." (what to say) "Your toddler looks like a terrorist." (what to believe or think) "Stay away. We are going to strip search her. It's okay." (what to do)
"If you have nothing to hide you shouldn't mind zero privacy and zero rights at all. We take away your rights to protect you!"

Mar 18 2013:
Such as, If there are people in the world incapable of empathy, love or remorse, then that is an issue that we can't just be swept under the carpet.
I'm not suggesting anything machiavellian, but I do think we have to discuss it and talk about the implications, thus this question.

Mar 18 2013:
Oh I thought you were on about one specific program on the BBC, my bad.
Tbh, It's clear that there are a few pretty obvious psychopaths in American Politics, Paul Ryan would be a good bet.

Mar 18 2013:
Christopher, I think it is much deeper than just on or even a few politicians. I think the process demands a person who is so in want of the power and money the postion offers that they can "play the game". Find out what the public want to hear and campaign on that ... when elected do what you are told by the power brokers ... the people are no longer the issue. Of course you will throw them a bone every once in a while. They are the elete above the law. The SEC just fined the SAC Capital Advisors 614 Million dollars for insider trading on a Alzeheimer drug trail results leak ... but Nancy Polsi made millions on VISA by information she had on a bill she was voting on in Congress. Only because the elete is above the law. Congress voted that they will not be forced to fall under Obamacare as it is for the people ... not the elete.

Our national debit is greater than our GDP ... the administration does not see this as a problem and wants to spend more .... is that a act of a sane person? You and I would go to jail for such poor financial decisions. The people who have become dependent upon the government want more and wish to work less .... so the generational welfare are also a big problem. We post signs that say do not feed the animals they will become dependent upon you ... and brag that the government now feed 27 million Americans .... irony at its best.

We have become so dependent upon the lies accompanied by the koolade that we stand in line for more koolade.

Yeah our politicians are nuts ... but the mentally ill re-elects them in both parties over and over.

Mar 18 2013:
Its the same in the UK to be fair, I actually think that what you are describing is more about some politicians who want to create a client state in order to further their political ambitions rather than Psychopaths attempting to attain wealth and cause pain.
I think we have to start watching our politicians very closely, I truly believe that what you are experiencing in America now, is what happened in Europe in the post-war years.

Mar 14 2013:
I tend to think the empathic person is the better competitor, both a better winner who doesn't bring out hate in the person they beat, and a better loser who learns from their performance.

Mar 14 2013:
It has been shown that Psychopaths have a higher birth rate due to their promiscuous nature, If we assume that if both a normal person and a psychopath are competing for a mate, the psychopath will be successful to to superior skills of manipulation, but will then move to another mate.
The projections would seem to intimate that Psychopaths will out compete normal humans.